In early February, the members of Belle Meade Hunt in Thompson, Georgia hosted their annual joint meet with Tennessee Valley Hunt (Knoxville, Tennessee). Shortly after a winter storm that dumped snow all over the Deep South, this weekend had warmed up enough to waive coats. Here is the hunt report from Nicole Smith who was carrying the horn for Belle Meade that day.
Belle Meade Hunt and Tennessee Valley Hunt’s annual joint meet was February 8-9th. This year, Belle Meade’s newly appointed Honorary Huntsmen Natalie Ware and I (Nicole Smith) were to carry the horn alongside TVH Huntsman Ryan Johnsey. Natalie would hunt with Ryan on Saturday, and my turn was on Sunday.
Saturday Natalie and Ryan started out the front gate, across the road from the BMH stables, with the intention of flushing a coyote North across the pipeline and then on towards Stagecoach Road. They were trying their very best to avoid going East to the nearby airport and Country Club.
Within five minutes of casting, hounds gave voice and flushed a coyote West across Wrightsboro Road. Road whips got an exciting scene as the pursued coyote nearly missed being hit by a civilian passing through, causing him to pull a Hail Mary jump and clear a massive coop from a stride out! Casey Johnsey was road whipping and luckily got the whole thing on video. Scenting was tough but with some help, hounds were brought forward and gave us a thrilling run. Natalie and Ryan had a successful day one.
Sunday’s forecast called for warmer temps, causing us to move the hunt time half an hour earlier. The mission was to get the hounds in good, fresh cover quickly and hopefully have a run while the scent was decent.
That morning I was tacking my horse at my trailer when whipper-in Elise Lee called, giving me the best news I could have heard… “Hey friend, I have a Tally Ho on a black coyote going North in the field right across from the hunt!” (Elise lives up the hill from the hunt stables and hacks over to the meets. She was on her way over when she spotted the coyote.)
Wow! The Good Lord heard my prayers and couldn’t have answered more perfectly!
I said I’ll be there ASAP, stay on the line! I finished tacking my horse as quickly as I could and when I was almost ready to mount up I called Master Epp to let him know of the Tally Ho. Right after hanging up, I heard him blow his horn and announce to the members, “Mount up, we have had a Tally Ho and we are leaving out EARLY! Mount up!!”
Ryan and I met up with Elise across the road and put the hounds on the line. It didn’t take long for the Tennessee Valley Penn-Marydel noses to sniff out the line and start trailing slowly northeast. The hounds worked beautifully together, picking diligently at the line to find fresh pockets of scent, trailing getting more and more consistent until finally whipper-in John Lemmon radioed, “Tally Ho black coyote crossing the pipeline to the North, hounds are coming on the line!” Ryan and I shared a big smile, and a sigh of relief for me, before galloping on after hounds. The coyote took us North towards Gentleman’s Hill, then East towards Tally Ho Lake, then north again towards McCorkle Alley. A second coyote was spotted heading East, and it was hard to tell if the hounds had swapped to this coyote or had stayed on the original black one. We held up just West of McCorkle Alley in hopes the black coyote was still in the woods and would choose to run on North across Stagecoach Road. We were in luck again as hounds ran into good country still on the original coyote! He followed the creek north and circled on the east side of the Rock Dam and water treatment plant before heading back South. Master Epp radioed to road whips to blow their horns in an attempt to keep him in good country, away from the airport and Country Club. We had already gotten lucky, we didn’t need to test it anymore. Road whips were brilliant and turned the coyote West up to McCorkle’s Hay Field, where 3rd Flight Field Master Mike Coke had his field in the perfect spot to watch the black coyote run across the open field!
At this point, the temperature was climbing and scent was declining. But hounds still worked hard and pushed the coyote West, then North towards the Old Red Barn, then West again where Elise Lee once again viewed her coyote. Hounds were very hot and scattered, and only 2 hounds were semi-close to the coyote with their tongues hanging low. We decided to call it a day, gather hounds at a nearby stream, and head home. No fire in the pit was needed after this day of hunting, just maybe a cold beer. It was another fine weekend of hunting with our great friends from Tennessee Valley, we look forward to next year!
Alexis Grisham, Belle Meade Hunt member, got a great video of the black coyote below.
From Alexis Grisham – “I’ve been foxhunting for 5 years with Shakerag Hounds and Green Creek Hounds. I was a member of Belle Meade and have hunted with them also frequently over the last 5 years. Too much to juggle, lol. I moved my way up from Fourth Field to First Flight within two seasons, but then I got the eventing bug. So now I’m an eventer, fox hunter, and also a USDF competitor working towards my bronze. I own two horses, Nose a 16 yr old draft paint rescue, and Kash an 8yr old New Vocations adopted TB. They have both been personally made hunt horses and are what I am a jack of all trades both competing in eventing and dressage and both made first flight horses. Fox hunting has always been my happy place. I have a love for watching the game and the hounds work. I currently own two adopted Green Creek foxhounds.”
Nicole Smith tells us a bit about herself – “At 6 years old I began taking lessons at Foxboro Farm. From taking lessons, to exercise riding, to training young horses, to eventually teaching lessons, this is the place where my horse and foxhunting addiction grew. I spent a lot of time in the kennels, helping show hounds and with hound walkouts. In 2009, Natalie Ware and I competed in the Pack Class at the Virginia Hound Show and won, making the cover of In & Around Horse Country. That year I was also promoted to honorary whipper-in. Natalie and I take the hounds on walkouts most weekends during the summer, giving the puppies extra attention in a quieter environment. At the beginning of this hunt season, whipper-in Natalie and I were promoted to Honorary Huntsman. We get to fill in for Master Epp when he is sick (which is never) or if he would just like to step back and have a more relaxing day whipping in while one of us is in the hot seat. I have gotten to carry the horn about four times this season. It has been a dream come true to be able to hunt the hounds, I look forward to learning and growing in this new role.”
Susan McElheney got the great photo of the black coyote crossing in front of the Fields – “I started foxhunting at Belle Meade in 1990 when I was 10 years old with my father Buddy Dallas who was one of the very early original BMH members hunting alongside Master James Wilson back in the early 1970s. I feel so fortunate to pass the tradition of Foxhunting on to my daughter Mary Brooks McElheney (14) and son Carson McElheney (11) Mary Brooks won the Jr National Field Hunter Championship (Hilltopper 11-18 division) this past September in Ohio. The photo was taken in McCorkle Hayfield just above the historic Rock Dam.”
There is a history of black coyotes in the Belle Meade country. Here is an old hunt report of a memorable black coyote at the first Tennessee Valley Hunt joint meet with Belle Meade: Grosvenor’s Hill – Foxhunting Life.
